Choosing between becoming a freelance web designer or opening a web design agency is like standing at a career crossroads, with both paths lined with pros, cons, and endless cups of coffee.
The appeal of working solo versus managing a team has baffled many creative professionals— and for good reason. Whether you are drawn to the freedom of freelancing or the structure of an agency, this decision could shape your work-life balance. It will also decide your future in the web design industry.
So, how do you decide the path that will lead to more success (and fewer sleepless nights)?
Let’s explore the details, identify the key differences, and sprinkle in some humor to help you decide whether to fly solo or build a web design empire.
Freelance Web Designer: Loner in the Wilderness of Design
A freelance web designer operates essentially as if it were a one-man web design show. This person deals with everything – designing websites, clients’ interfaces, marketing, billing, and admin work. In short, this is you: CEO, designer, accountant, and even janitor. You wear many hats, sometimes heavy ones.
Freelancers have earned their reputation as flexible. Want to work in those PJs until noon? No problem. Freelancers can set their timings, choose the projects they resonate with, and decide how often they want to work.
But, remember the cons- freelance web designers also have to carry the weight of unpredictability. One month you might have five clients, and the next month you might be stuck refreshing your inbox.
According to recent statistics, around 36% of the US workforce freelances, adding up to about $1.4 trillion in the economy.
Online design is among the top freelancing careers, and web designers make anywhere between $30 to $150 an hour depending on experience and skill set.
While the flexibility is terrific, it also means you never would be left alone for a second. You aren’t just a web designer; you are also a salesman; you will have to chase clients, set prices, and negotiate deadlines. It is a balance of creativity and business management that not everyone is cut out to be.
A web design agency: The structured team player
Running a web design agency is more an experience similar to that of an orchestra: each performer would know what they do and how their performance will take orchestral shape. Agencies are usually made up of teams of designers, developers, and project managers who work together on bigger, more complex tasks.
An agency often services custom web designs and web developments for a variety of clients, including small businesses, and big brands- you name it. The nature of an agency is more predictable than freelancing.
You have streams of continuous clients, established processes, and—a little envy here— a team to share the burden when a client sends some “urgent” 3 a.m. email.
A firm might quote you $3,000 to $15,000 (or more) for a project.
Costs vary depending on the size of your project, but agencies usually take up bigger and more complex projects and tend to package in services like SEO, content creation, and marketing. Such makes them attractive to clients who appreciate one-stop shops for all their digital needs.
While working for an agency may mean less flexibility than freelancing, it provides the stability of paid employment. Typically, most agencies can secure higher-end clients who pay well, so you can focus on the designing rather than hurrying to beat the calendar for new business each month.
The Path to Choose: What Is Your Goal?
You would already know what you are expecting to achieve by working freelance compared to becoming a member of a web design agency. Before making the move, ask yourself this big question: What do you want from your career?
But there is more to this than just money and freedom. Let’s break it down further:
- Freelancers are like solo musicians. They play to their tune, and if they feel like improvising, they can. But solo performances come with risks— what happens when you hit a wrong note?
Meanwhile, web design agencies are like orchestras. Sure, you have less creative freedom, but you have also got a conductor (aka project manager) and a team to back you up when things go sideways.
- Freelancing promises flexibility, but often at the cost of separating work from life. As a freelance web designer, you might work from home, but home quickly becomes the office.
Agencies, though a bit more rigid, often have set hours. Clock in, clock out, and your evenings are yours— no “urgent” client emails at midnight (or at least fewer of them).
- Freelancers tend to attract smaller clients with smaller budgets, while web design agencies usually reel in the big fish. This can mean more creative freedom for freelancers, as clients might not expect all the bells and whistles.
But it also means freelancers have to juggle more clients to make the same income. Agencies, with their higher price tags, often work on long-term projects for clients who demand more.
The Attractive Case for Agencies
Web design freelancing can be quite liberating, but there is much to be said for web design agencies- especially if you are concerned about stability and long-term career development.
Here are just a few reasons to consider joining an agency over freelancing:
- Agency clients are retainer-based: which means you rarely go without work. You never have to wonder where next month’s paycheck is coming from.
- Team: You are part of a bigger machine. Where there is an implementation of creativity, there is a team that will help push through.
- Professional Development: Usually, agencies have opportunities for training and development. This could mean being updated on new web development trends or mastering new software; you’ll keep your skills cutting-edge when working with an agency.
- Bigger Clients, Bigger Projects: High-profile clients and big projects are always great for the portfolio and, indeed, the bank account.
Conclusion: Choosing Your Road
So, what do you choose between being a freelance web designer and signing up with a web design agency? Well, that depends on which matters the most to you- the freedom to work by yourself or the stability of the environment of working with the right team.
A freelancer has more freedom but faces inconsistency in work and the feared drama of chasing clients around. Agencies offer lesser freedom but a stable income source with better projects and benefits accrued from working with other people.
Ultimately, it is about knowing why you want to freelance or open/join a web design agency— from the freedom to set your schedule or bigger projects in a collaborative environment.
Either way, web design is an industry that just won’t stop growing. Be prepared to sleep with those “urgent” emails, though, because, freelancing or starting/joining a web design agency, they are going to find you anyway!
